Ernest t



(.No Model.) r

E. 'T. BARBERIE 85 J. DES BRISA-Y.

' ELECTRIC SWITCH.

No. 440,614. Patented Nov. 18, 1890.

w vbnmaq UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST T. EARBERIE AND JAMES DES BRISAY, OE NElV YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,614, dated November 18, 1&90.

Application filed April 8, 1890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ERNEST T. BARBERIE and JAMES DES BRISAY, both subjects of the Queen of'Great Britain, and residents of New York, county and State of New York, have made a new and useful Invention in Elec trical Switches or Out Out Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates particularly to electrical switches or cut-outs for use in electriclighting and analogous systems where electrical currents of high tension and great quantity, or either or both, are used, and is of the type known as a snap-switch, or such as act instantaneously to rupture the circuit.

The invention has for its objects, first, to cheapen and simplify switches of this type; second, to provideaswitoh of the type named in which electrical contact between the opera tive parts shall be firmand secure when the electrodes are operatively connected together,

and, third, to reduce the are produced at the electrodes to a minimum on breaking the circuit. These objects are accomplished by the use of the apparatus we shall now describe, and shall particularly claim at the end of this specification.

For a full and exact understanding of our invention reference is had to the accompany ings, in which Figure 1 represents in plan view the apparatus entire, the switch being closed and the cover of the switch-box removed the better to show the operative parts. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the switch open. Fig. 3 is a Vertical sectional view of the switch-box, the switch and connections being shown in elevation. Fig. i is a detail sectional view showing the connecting-clutches for securing the leading-in or circuit wires to the exterior of the switch-box.

A is the switch-box, made of wood, hard rubber, or other suitable insulating material.

WV 7 are the wires for conducting the current to box A, said wires being insulated, as shown, and having their insulated ends proj ecting through holes in opposite sides of the box. These wires are held in place by clutches T T and U U, secured to the sides of box A by screws t and a, the parts Ubeing de tachable from the fixed portions T T, as clearly indicated in Fig. 4..

Serial No. 347,086. (No model) B is a block of insulating material-such as hard rubber-and to it is attached the en tire switch apparatus. This blockB is secured to the inside of box A by screws 12?), so that it may be removed at any time when it is desired to repair the switch. The conducting part of the switch consists of a pair of metallic arms 0 C, pivotallysecured'to the block 13 by a post P, said post also serving as a binder for the incoming wire TV.

F is the switch-operating shaft journaled in block B and held in place by a screw f, as clearly shown.

H is the switch-operating handle, and E is a fixed disk secured to the shaft F, serving to steady said shaft by its bearing on. block B and at the same time to act as a connectinglink between the shaft and the switclrarms C 0, said connection being had through two curved links D D and screws 6 e s s.

S is a spring having its middle portion wound about the base-support of post P and its free ends in sliding contact with the screws 5, the normal tendency of said spring being to force the arms 0 C apart until the shout ders cl (1 come together.

w is a detachable metallic contact-block of A cylindrical form adapted to give good contact and clutching-surface to the curved ends 0 c of the switch-arms when in closed position, said contact-block being held in place on the end of wire \V by a screw i.

The arrangement of the links D D with relation to disk E is such that when the switch is closed the inner ends of links D D are approximately in line with the center of shaft F, while the outer or free ends of said links have passed the centers of rotation, so that the switch is held closed, and the action of spring S tends to keep it so closed till relieved by forcing the links past the centers of rotation again through the agency of handle H.

The switch mechanism may be removed at will for repair and the wires joined by a simple piece of wire in a manner well understood. It preferred, the ends a 0 may be grooved in the direction of'the length of the arms 0 O, and thus adapted to clasp dir ctly the wire W, instead of through a clutchfiolock 10.

By using two circuit-breaki g arms (1 O which act simultaneously we redhce the possibility of arcingto a minimum. Flhe gripping IOC nature of the two arms also assures a positive and certain electrical contact at all times with a minimum liability of an accidental rupture of the circuit through sudden jars or abnormal disturbances on the outside of the box. The side clutches on the switch-box hold the wires securely in place, and the absolute security of insulation in the non-metallic box and connections make the switch at once secure and reliable.

We do not limit ourselves to the specific construction herein shown, as we believe it is broadly new with us to construct a switch in which operative contact is made through the agency of a two-armed gripping device which grips and firmly holds the circuit closed through a fixed electrode. and we desire it understood that our claims are of such generic nature as to include all devices of this general positive grippingnature, in which the two arms of the gripping device are operatively connected together bya switch-handle, so that they may be caused to grip or release the fixed electrode at will through the agency of such handle.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A switch consisting of a fixed electrode, in combination with two movable electrodes mechanically connected to each other and to a switch-handle, whereby said movable electrodes are adapted to grip the fixed electrode, substantially as described.

2. I11 a switch, a fixed electrode and a pair of movable electrodes adapted to grip or hold the fixed electrode, in combination with a switch-handle operatively connected to the movable electrodes for manipulating them, substantially as described.

3. In a switch, a fixed electrode, a pair of movable electrode-arms pivotally secured at one end to a common support, and a switchhandle operatively connected to the movable electrode-arms for bringing them into contact with the fixed electrode, substantially as described.

4. A switch consisting of a fixed electrode, a pair of movable electrode-arms adapted to grip the fixed electrode, and an operatinghandle connected by a pair of links to the movable electrode-arms, substantially as described.

5. A switch consisting of a fixed electrode, a pair of movable electrode-arms adapted to grip the fixed electrode, a spring normally tending to hold said arms apart, a switch-op erating handle, and a pair of links connecting said handle to said electrode-arms, substantially as described.

ERNEST T. BARBERIE. JAMES DES BRISAY.

Witnesses:

A. V. HINEY, C. J. KINTNER. 

